We are delighted to welcome the highly-rated defender to Oakwell on a permanent basis from Premier League side Southampton.
Barnsley Football Club can today confirm the signing of 21-year-old defender Jason McCarthy from Southampton.
The much sought after defender has signed a three year deal with the Club after Paul Heckingbottom fought hard to bring in one of his top summer targets.
The 6ft 1’ defender can operate comfortably at both right-back and as a central defender, offering versatility and experience at an early stage of his career, having amassed over 80 senior appearances so far and winning two end of season awards in the process!
Having made his Premier League debut for the Saints in 2014 in a 3-1 away win at Crystal Palace, McCarthy then began his search of regular first team football.
Joining League Two outfit Wycombe Wanderers for the 2015/16 campaign on loan, he made 35 first team appearances, scoring two goals. His outstanding performances throughout the season saw McCarthy voted the Supporters’ Player of the Year at the end of the season.
The next step was League One, where once again the stylish defender had a loan move, this time with Walsall. He played every single minute in a 46 game season for The Saddlers, scoring five goals and gaining many admirers along the way. This form was again rewarded with the Fans Player of the Season, showing how highly rated McCarthy was becoming in the game.
Speaking to barnsleyfc.co.uk, Head Coach Paul Heckingbottom was delighted to bring in his second summer recruit before pre-season commences on June 25th.
Heckingbottom said, “I am really, really pleased to get Jason to join us. We have been monitoring him for a while and as soon as we became aware that there was a chance, we jumped at it. Having spoken with him both at the Club and over the phone, it was clear that he could see himself in this team and his desire to be here was just as big as ours to sign him. It’s an exciting signing and I think the fans will be really pleased. I primarily see him playing on the right-hand-side but he can also play at the heart of the defence as well. This is a really positive move and I am looking forward to Jason getting onto the pitch.”
McCarthy expressed just how pleased he was to join the Reds in an exclusive interview which can be viewed on iFollow Barnsley, our new subscription service.
“I am absolutely delighted to be here, it’s a thrill to get it over the line. This was the perfect next step for me, to sign for a Championship club, especially one like Barnsley. As soon as I came and was walking around the place, you get a real feel and you sense the history of the Club so it’s a great feeling to sign.
“This was a really easy decision. I went and met the manager and I got a really good impression from him straight away. I felt comfortable and this felt like the right move, I was really impressed as soon as I came through the door.”
